


Father's Day, Age Four

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: Iris West-Allen Appreciation Week 2020 [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: (but in the future), Gen, Pre-Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24877456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: Barry's gone, vanished in the Crisis, and he's not coming home. And Iris is just trying to find a way to get Nora to understand that
Series: Iris West-Allen Appreciation Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798396
Comments: 10
Kudos: 12





	Father's Day, Age Four

**Author's Note:**

> For Iris Week Day 2: Family Relationship

"Mama," Nora said. "When's Daddy coming home?"

Oh. She should have known this was coming. Father's Day was coming up, and she knew they'd been doing activities at school. And she'd tried explaining to Nora before, but she was so little.

Iris sighed and sat on the floor next to her. She'd been drawing again. Mostly crayon scribbles of just colour, but there were stick people too. Three of them. Her, Barry, and Iris.

"He's not coming home, baby," Iris said. Nora frowned. “Remember what we said before?”

"But why?"

"He can't." They knew he couldn't. They'd tried everything. Cisco had vibed, and Wally had been into the Speed Force and pleaded, but Barry wasn't there.

"Is he lost?" Nora asked.

"Something like that," Iris said. "Sweetheart, you remember why Grandpa Henry, Grandma Nora, and Nana Francine can't visit?"

"Because they live too far away," Nora said. "Did Daddy go to find them?"

"Sort of," Iris said. "It's called dying. When you don't live in your body anymore and you go somewhere else."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Then how do we visit?"

"You can't visit, Nora. And they can't come back either."

"But I want Daddy. Does he not want me?"

"Nora, he loves you so much. Never forget that, okay? The reason he had to go away was because he was trying to keep you safe because he loved you so much."

"But I want him here."

"So do I. I miss him too, all the time. But I know wherever he is now, he is so proud of you. And I have you, and you have me, and we have Papa and Mama Cecile, and Uncle Wally, Uncle Cisco and Auntie Kamilla, Auntie Joanie, Auntie Jenna, Auntie Linda, Uncle Jay and Auntie Joan, and Auntie Kara and Auntie Sara, you have lots of aunties and uncles. They all love you so much."

"You won't leave too, will you?"

"Everyone dies eventually, baby," Iris said. "But not for a very long time, I promise you."

"Love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Nora. Why don't we make some cakes and go visit Uncle Cisco this afternoon? You know he loves your cakes a lot."

"With sprinkles?"

"Tons of sprinkles."


End file.
